There is a growing need for observation of a three-dimensional structure that a sample originally has using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM).
JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2009-122122 A (Patent Document 1), for example, describes one of the observation methods of using a sample holder enabling 360-degree rotation of a sample to capture two-dimensional continuous projection images of the sample while rotating it and reconstructing a three-dimensional structure from the captured two-dimensional projection images. JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2007-188905 A (Patent Document 2) describes a sample holder enabling processing and observation from any direction.
JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H06-349928 A (1994) (Patent Document 3) describes a sample conveyance apparatus including a relay chamber to introduce a sample to a sample preparation device or an evaluation device, a sample conveyance chamber to convey the sample between a plurality of relay chambers, a manipulator to hold the sample in each chamber and a sample conveyance rod to convey the sample between the chambers, the sample conveyance apparatus being configured to enable precise and prompt evaluation of a thin film sample such as semiconductor while keeping the prepared state.
JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-148003 A (Patent Document 4) describes the following technique. A sample fixed to a temperature variable mechanism (heat insulation unit) of a sample stage is introduced to a sample chamber and the sample in a cooled state at a temperature lower than a room temperature is processed with an ion beam. Then, a sample chamber side and a vacuum line are separated while maintaining an ion beam generator and a detector under high vacuum using a shutter, followed by leakage of dry gas such as nitrogen and inert gas into the sample chamber, and a cover in the sample chamber is placed on the sample together with the heat insulation unit. Then the sample stage with the sample residing thereon is taken out from the sample chamber while placing the cover thereon in the atmosphere inside the cover controlled with a gas inlet unit.
JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-21583 A (Patent Document 5) describes a sample holder capable of shielding the atmosphere and introducing gas into an airtight chamber. This sample holder is configured to move a sample holding unit between a forward end position where the sample holding unit projects from a sample holding unit projection exit (during sample observation) and a backward end position where the sample holding unit is placed in the airtight chamber. The sample holder further includes piping for letting in/out gas to/from the airtight chamber.
JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-187735 A (Patent Document 6) describes a sample holder configured to hermetically seal a sample in a special atmosphere. This sample holder includes a diaphragm to separate a sample placing part from the interior of a sample chamber (vacuum) and a gas inlet tube leading to a sample placing space that is formed by the diaphragm.
Software to analyze a three-dimensional structure obtained by a TEM or the like also is available (Non Patent Document 1). Specifying a special part of a certain three-dimensional structure, such software is configured to display the distance between two points, the surface area, the volume, the density and the like of the specified part.